Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Shrek!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Qi completes a new breastplate using specially refined Sinking Silver while Snorlax assists with Helping Hand.
• The Battle Armor successfully fuses into Snorlax’s body. After learning to focus its mind, Snorlax summons the armor from its chest.
• Su Yu compares the new armor with Snorlax’s previous One-Word Battle Armor and confirms that the new version offers superior strength and defense.
• Su Yu realizes this technology could become a new Team Rocket business venture: Pokémon Battle Armor.
• In Shrek City, Old Dou searches for a Slate whose location he can sense. He initially travels on foot but realizes the Slate is moving and eventually chooses a Soul Guidance Car.
• Old Dou suddenly detects the fourth Slate and abandons the car to pursue it, prioritizing it over the previously known third Slate.
• His search leads him to the massive entrance of Shrek Academy. When he attempts to enter, he is confronted by a white-haired woman.
• Old Dou identifies himself as a Team Rocket member and reveals his enormous power by summoning Arceus and nine red Soul Rings.
• Cai Yue’er arrives to investigate. After hearing that Old Dou belongs to the Team Rocket and noticing that he does not appear hostile, she begins questioning him.

Character Developments

• Wen Qi demonstrates increasing mastery of Battle Armor forging, successfully completing and integrating a powerful new armor into Snorlax.
• Snorlax gains a major enhancement through the armor, though it initially struggles to understand how to activate it. With Su Yu’s guidance, it learns to summon the armor mentally.
• Su Yu recognizes the commercial potential of Battle Armor and begins considering how it could expand Team Rocket’s influence.
• Old Dou shows caution and restraint. Although powerful enough to overwhelm Shrek’s guards, he avoids violence because he only wants to recover the Slate and does not wish to make Shrek an enemy.
• Cai Yue’er is introduced as a senior Shrek figure who is vigilant toward outsiders but willing to assess Old Dou rather than attack immediately.

Significant Themes

• Innovation and commercialization: The successful Battle Armor experiment transforms a combat breakthrough into a possible new industry for Team Rocket.
• Power and restraint: Old Dou’s immense strength contrasts with his decision to avoid unnecessary conflict.
• Trust and reputation: The Team Rocket insignia helps establish Old Dou’s identity, but his overwhelming power makes Shrek’s representatives cautious.
• Competition over mysterious artifacts: The Slates remain valuable and difficult to track, creating urgency and potential conflict between powerful factions.
• Adaptation and cooperation: Wen Qi, Su Yu, and Snorlax work together to develop and use the armor effectively.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu directs Snorlax during the armor’s activation, while Wen Qi observes the results of his forging.
• Snorlax’s confusion provides a lighthearted contrast to the serious technological achievement.
• Old Dou interacts with the Soul Guidance Car driver briefly before abandoning the vehicle when he detects the Slate.
• At Shrek’s entrance, Old Dou is confronted by a white-haired woman who initially treats him as a trespasser.
• After Old Dou reveals his Team Rocket identity and power, the woman reassesses him and informs Cai Yue’er, who takes over the interrogation at the chapter’s end.

Chapter Summary: “Yun Ming!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Dou confirms to Cai Yue’er that he is from Team Rocket and has come to Shrek Academy searching for a mysterious Slate.
• Cai Yue’er assigns teacher Shen Yi to escort him around the academy while secretly observing him and arranging for other powerful figures to monitor the situation.
• Old Dou senses that the Slate he seeks is somewhere near Sea God’s Lake, specifically on Sea God Island, where Shrek’s sacred Golden Tree stands. However, Shen Yi informs him that outsiders are forbidden from entering.
• Shrek’s senior figures—Cai Yue’er, Zhuo Shi, and Feng Wuyu—discuss Old Dou’s strength. Cai Yue’er admits she cannot see through him, leading them to suspect that he may be a Limit Douluo or an individual even stronger than the Sea God Pavilion Master.
• Yun Ming, the master of Sea God Pavilion and the continent’s strongest acknowledged expert, appears and confronts Old Dou.
• Old Dou and Yun Ming immediately sense extraordinary power and a trace of divinity in one another. Both suspect that the other may have interacted with the God Realm or begun creating a form of godhood.
• Yun Ming attempts to engage Old Dou in conversation and possibly provoke a fight, but Old Dou recognizes the overwhelming difference between them and decides not to force his way into Sea God Island.
• Old Dou also senses that a third Slate is approaching Shrek, meaning Shrek City may contain two Slates at once. He prepares to leave, both to avoid Yun Ming and to investigate the incoming Slate.

Character Developments

• Old Dou: Demonstrates caution and strategic awareness. Although he possesses a trace of Arceus’s Divine Power and can defeat ordinary Super Douluos, he realizes that Yun Ming—an exceptionally powerful Limit Douluo equipped with Four-Word Battle Armor—is far beyond his current ability to defeat. His priorities remain locating the Slates while avoiding unnecessary conflict.
• Cai Yue’er: Becomes highly suspicious of Old Dou and treats him as a potentially dangerous, exceptionally powerful outsider. She discreetly calls in Shrek’s strongest figures to assess him.
• Shen Yi: Acts as Old Dou’s guide and shows loyalty to Shrek by preventing him from approaching the forbidden Sea God’s Lake.
• Yun Ming: Is introduced as a nearly unmatched powerhouse with a divine aura and possible self-created godhood. He is intrigued by Old Dou and appears eager to test or confront him.
• Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu: Their reactions reinforce the belief that Old Dou may be far stronger than he appears and possibly comparable to legendary figures.
• Arceus: Though not physically present, its power remains central to Old Dou’s strength and gives him access to a small amount of Divine Power.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Old Dou’s strength is impressive, but the chapter emphasizes that recognizing an opponent’s superiority is essential. He chooses survival and strategy over reckless confrontation.
• Mystery and hidden identities: Both Old Dou and Yun Ming conceal or investigate their true capabilities, while Shrek’s leaders attempt to determine Old Dou’s origins and purpose.
• Divinity and transcendence: The divine auras sensed by both men suggest that the story is moving toward questions of godhood, the God Realm, and whether mortals can create their own divine power.
• Sacred territory and forbidden knowledge: Sea God’s Lake and the Golden Tree represent Shrek’s protected secrets, while the Slate’s presence there creates tension between Old Dou’s objective and Shrek’s rules.
• The growing importance of the Slates: Their unusual power attracts attention even from people who cannot use them, suggesting that collecting them will increasingly bring Old Dou into conflict with powerful organizations.

Character Interactions

• Cai Yue’er and Old Dou: She questions him about Team Rocket and his purpose, then secretly observes him because she cannot assess his true strength.
• Shen Yi and Old Dou: Shen Yi guides him through Shrek and stops him from entering Sea God’s Lake. Their interaction is polite but marked by Shrek’s suspicion of him.
• Shrek’s elders: Cai Yue’er, Zhuo Shi, and Feng Wuyu discuss Old Dou’s possible strength and debate whether the Sea God Pavilion Master should be informed.
• Old Dou and Yun Ming: Their meeting is the chapter’s central interaction. A polite handshake masks mutual suspicion and an intense battle intent. Each recognizes a trace of divinity in the other, while Old Dou understands that a direct fight would be disastrously one-sided.

Chapter Summary: “The Fifth Slate!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Dou heads toward Shrek Academy with Shen Yi following him and explains the role of a Pokémon Trainer, emphasizing that Pokémon are companions and battle partners who must be raised and developed.
• They arrive during Shrek’s once-every-three-years admissions period, when large numbers of young candidates are entering the academy.
• Old Dou senses the third Slate nearby and identifies it on a thin, indifferent-looking youth entering Shrek. Before he can approach the youth, however, he detects another Slate.
• He realizes that there are actually three Slates within Shrek City, not two. The newly discovered fifth Slate is hidden within a mysterious Shadow that appears to be concealing its presence.
• Old Dou suspects the Shadow may belong to an Evil Soul Master, possibly at least Titled Douluo level, whose target could be Shrek’s incoming students. He worries that an attack during admissions could cause mass casualties and severely damage Shrek’s reputation.
• Rather than attack blindly and risk the students’ lives, Old Dou warns Shen Yi, who leaves to inform Shrek’s powerful experts.
• Old Dou follows the third Slate into the new-student assessment hall. He discovers that the seemingly ordinary youth is actually Yuanen Yehui, a girl disguised as a boy, whose martial soul is the Titan Giant Ape.
• Old Dou realizes that the third Slate is on Yuanen Yehui and begins considering how to obtain it.
• At the chapter’s end, the fifth Slate remains nearby, still concealed in a Shadow at the edge of the assessment hall. Old Dou continues observing it without revealing that he has detected its presence.

Character Developments

• Old Dou demonstrates caution and strategic thinking. Although he is primarily interested in acquiring the Slates, he avoids confronting the suspected Evil Soul Master immediately because doing so could endanger the surrounding students.
• His curiosity and greed regarding the Slates become increasingly apparent, especially when he privately considers whether warning Shrek should earn him the fifth Slate.
• Shen Yi is shown to be unfamiliar with the broader Pokémon system but quickly becomes serious and cooperative once Old Dou warns her of the possible threat.
• Yuanen Yehui is introduced as a disciplined, guarded student who disguises her identity and appears emotionally indifferent. Her Titan Giant Ape martial soul marks her as a potentially powerful candidate.
• The unseen holder of the fifth Slate is established as highly skilled in concealment and potentially extremely dangerous.

Significant Themes

• Power versus responsibility: Old Dou’s desire to obtain the Slates conflicts with the need to protect Shrek’s students.
• Hidden identities and concealed power: Yuanen Yehui disguises her gender, while the fifth Slate’s bearer hides within the shadows.
• Danger beneath ordinary events: A routine admissions day may conceal a major attack, creating tension between Shrek’s public activity and the unseen threat nearby.
• Trust and opportunism: Old Dou warns Shrek, but partly because he hopes the information will help him claim the fifth Slate.
• Companionship and growth: The discussion of Pokémon introduces the idea that powerful beings should be nurtured as allies rather than treated merely as tools.

Character Interactions

• Shen Yi questions Old Dou about establishing Team Rocket in Shrek and learns about Trainers and Pokémon.
• Old Dou attempts to greet the youth carrying the third Slate, but the youth dismisses him and walks away, leaving Old Dou momentarily uncertain how to proceed.
• Old Dou informs Shen Yi of the possible Evil Soul Master threat. Their initially awkward interaction becomes serious as they quietly discuss the danger.
• In the assessment hall, Old Dou observes Yuanen Yehui without exposing that he has identified her as the Slate’s bearer.
• He also keeps watch on the hidden Shadow, creating a tense three-way situation involving Old Dou, Yuanen Yehui, and the unknown holder of the fifth Slate.

Chapter Summary: “Monster Tablet!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The freshmen arrive at Shrek Academy and witness an armored man demonstrating Two-Word Battle Armor, heightening their awe and excitement.
• Yuanen Yehui notices that the masked man who stopped her earlier—Old Dou—is watching her. She suspects he may be connected to the academy but dismisses the possibility.
• Old Dou and Cai Yue’er discover Shadow, a hidden Super Douluo preparing to attack the freshmen.
• Cai Yue’er launches a powerful attack, but it passes through Shadow harmlessly. Shadow prepares a massive purple Shadow Ball aimed at destroying the hall and killing the students.
• Old Dou realizes that Shadow possesses the Ghost-type Monster Tablet, granting him Ghost-type immunity and allowing him to ignore ordinary Soul Power and physical attacks.
• Shadow reveals that the Tablet’s energy transformed his Martial Soul and elevated him from a naturally weak cultivator into a Super Douluo.
• Old Dou uses the Pokémon move Foresight, borrowing Arceus’s power to make his attack capable of striking Ghost-type opponents. He punches Shadow into a wall and disrupts his attack.
• The Shadow Ball nevertheless falls toward the freshmen. Several powerful Shrek experts, including Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu, arrive, but they cannot stop it in time.
• Old Dou warns Cai Yue’er that elemental attacks are needed to harm Shadow, then rushes toward the falling Shadow Ball.
• The chapter ends with Yuanen Yehui and the other freshmen trapped beneath the attack, believing they are about to die.

Character Developments

• Old Dou demonstrates his knowledge of the Monster Tablets and reveals another method of using Arceus’s power through Foresight. His calm intervention shows both his combat ability and his concern for the freshmen.
• Cai Yue’er displays overwhelming confidence and strength but is criticized for underestimating Shadow and relying on a standard Soul Power attack.
• Shadow is revealed to be far more dangerous than an ordinary Super Douluo. His Ghost-type abilities make him immune to many conventional attacks, and he intends to massacre the freshmen as part of his escape plan.
• Yuanen Yehui becomes increasingly frightened as the danger escalates. Her earlier suspicion of Old Dou shifts toward shock and reliance when she sees him fight to protect the students.
• Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu enter the battle as additional high-level reinforcements, emphasizing the seriousness of the crisis.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and adaptability in battle: Conventional strength is useless against Shadow until Old Dou identifies his Ghost-type immunity and applies Foresight.
• The danger of underestimating an enemy: Cai Yue’er’s incomplete attack allows Shadow to exploit his abilities and nearly destroy the freshmen.
• Power and transformation: The Monster Tablet can fundamentally alter a person’s Martial Soul and grant extraordinary strength.
• Protection amid overwhelming danger: The freshmen are helpless observers, while Old Dou and the academy’s experts struggle to shield them from a threat far beyond their level.
• Revelation of the Monster Tablets’ nature: Shadow’s powers confirm that the Tablets are not merely objects but sources of abilities resembling Pokémon moves and types.

Character Interactions

• Yuanen Yehui notices Old Dou’s attention but chooses to ignore him.
• Cai Yue’er confronts Old Dou and joins him in attacking Shadow.
• Old Dou and Cai Yue’er coordinate imperfectly: she attacks first, while Old Dou discovers the nature of Shadow’s immunity and advises her to use elemental attacks.
• Shadow taunts Old Dou, believing ordinary attacks cannot harm him, but Old Dou counters with Foresight.
• Yuanen Yehui watches Old Dou’s intervention and the teachers’ failed attempts to stop the Shadow Ball, leaving her terrified as the attack targets her directly.

Chapter Summary: “Stone Plate!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Dou arrives just in time to protect Yuanen Yehui and the other new students from Shadow’s devastating Shadow Ball.
• He uses the Stone Plate to invoke rock-based power and unleashes Rock Tomb, creating a massive stone spire that shields everyone from the explosion.
• Shadow, the wielder of the fifth Slate, escapes before Old Dou, Zhuo Shi, Feng Wuyu, and Cai Yue’er can capture him. The fifth Slate’s location is consequently lost.
• Old Dou confirms that Team Rocket still possesses the third Slate and decides that obtaining the fourth Slate can wait until Su Yu enters Shrek’s Inner Courtyard and Sea God Island.
• The rescued students express their gratitude to Old Dou. He identifies himself as one of Team Rocket’s Eighteen Elders and gives Yuanen Yehui a Pokémon Egg and a Poké Ball as compensation for taking something from her.
• Inspired by Old Dou’s strength and kindness, Yuanen Yehui develops an ambition to become powerful herself.
• At Eastsea Academy, Su Yu observes Class Zero’s physical training and examines Tang Wulin’s Stufful.
• Su Yu discovers that Tang Wulin’s bloodline has caused Stufful to mutate, giving it a new Normal/Dragon typing and creating an alternate form of evolution.
• Intrigued by the possibility of creating more bloodline-mutated Pokémon, Su Yu asks Tang Wulin to lend him some of his Golden Dragon King power.

Character Developments

• Old Dou demonstrates his immense strength, defensive ability, and protective nature. Although calm and composed, he regrets allowing the fifth Slate to escape.
• Yuanen Yehui develops deep gratitude toward Old Dou and gains a new aspiration to become as powerful as he is.
• Cai Yue’er is frustrated and self-critical after failing to prevent Shadow’s escape, recognizing that her caution and delayed support contributed to the failure.
• Su Yu becomes increasingly interested in experimenting with bloodline influence and Pokémon evolution. His curiosity shifts toward creating entirely new, potentially powerful mutated Pokémon.
• Tang Wulin is relieved that Stufful’s transformation is beneficial rather than harmful and becomes the potential source of genetic power for Su Yu’s experiments.
• Stufful evolves or mutates under the influence of Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon King bloodline, gaining Dragon-type power.

Significant Themes

• Protection and gratitude: Old Dou’s intervention saves the students from certain death, emphasizing the responsibility powerful individuals bear toward the vulnerable.
• Power and aspiration: Yuanen Yehui’s experience inspires her to pursue strength, while Su Yu seeks new ways to expand Pokémon abilities.
• Risk and uncertainty: The escape of the fifth Slate shows that even powerful experts can fail, and dangerous artifacts remain difficult to control.
• Mutation and adaptation: Stufful’s altered typing introduces the idea that bloodlines can reshape Pokémon, opening possibilities for new forms and evolutions.
• Strategic patience: Team Rocket chooses to delay pursuing the fourth Slate because other methods are too dangerous, showing a preference for long-term planning over reckless action.

Character Interactions

• Old Dou protects Yuanen Yehui and the other students, creating a strong impression of safety and trust.
• Yuanen Yehui kneels to thank Old Dou, but he dismisses the formal gratitude and gives her a Pokémon Egg and Poké Ball instead.
• Cai Yue’er reports Shadow’s escape to Old Dou and expresses regret over her failure to stop him.
• At Eastsea Academy, Tang Wulin teases Su Yu about his interest in Gu Yue before asking for help with Stufful.
• Su Yu carefully examines Stufful, reassures Tang Wulin that its mutation is beneficial, and then asks to borrow Tang Wulin’s bloodline power for further experimentation.

Chapter Summary: “Rampaging Spirit Ascension Platform!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu asks Tang Wulin for some of his excess Golden Dragon King bloodline energy so it can potentially help Arceus recover. However, because Arceus is severely injured, directly removing the bloodline’s power would be too dangerous.
• Su Yu decides that the Dragon Plate is necessary to control the Golden Dragon King’s rampaging energy and abandons the idea of immediately stripping away one of Tang Wulin’s seals.
• With Class Zero’s final exam approaching, Wu Zhangkong instructs the students to gather at the classroom before heading to the Spirit Pagoda.
• Tang Wulin gives every classmate Thousand Refinement inner armor that he personally made, hoping to improve their chances of surviving the exam. Su Yu accepts the gift despite knowing the armor will offer him little protection against Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
• Old Dou returns to East Sea City and meets Su Yu and Old Steel. In Arceus Space, he presents the Stone Plate to Arceus, presumably advancing Su Yu’s plan to restore or strengthen Arceus.
• The next day, Class Zero enters the Rampaging Spirit Ascension Platform. The group receives five Primary entries and one Intermediate entry, with Su Yu using the superior purple pod for the Intermediate platform.
• Su Yu materializes on a barren mountaintop, an especially dangerous starting location because he has little cover and may be spotted by flying Soul Beasts.
• He moves cautiously into the forest, intending only to survive for thirty minutes.
• Su Yu encounters three five-ring Soul Ancestors. One of them, Miaomiao, offers to let him join their group, but the other two view him as a liability. Su Yu declines and continues alone.
• Xiao You informs Su Yu that she is hungry, and Su Yu promises to find something for her to eat.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Remains cautious, pragmatic, and focused on completing the exam rather than pursuing unnecessary battles or alliances. He also continues working toward obtaining the Dragon Plate and stabilizing Arceus.
• Tang Wulin: Demonstrates his generosity and craftsmanship by giving the entire class protective inner armor. His upright and trustworthy nature is emphasized.
• Arceus: Is revealed to be critically wounded but still capable of interacting with the Stone Plate brought by Old Dou.
• Miaomiao: Shows compassion by wanting to protect Su Yu, even though her teammates consider him useless in combat.
• Old Dou and Old Steel: Continue supporting Su Yu’s plans, particularly through their role in bringing the Stone Plate to Arceus.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Su Yu must manage the dangerous Golden Dragon King energy rather than simply acquire more power.
• Preparation and survival: The armor, the exam precautions, and Su Yu’s careful movement all highlight the importance of preparation in a hostile environment.
• Compassion versus pragmatism: Miaomiao wants to help Su Yu, while her companions prioritize efficiency and Spirit Soul advancement.
• Trust and friendship: Tang Wulin’s gift reflects the growing bonds within Class Zero, even though Su Yu remains somewhat independent.
• Hidden danger: The Intermediate Rampaging Spirit Ascension Platform contains Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, making even seemingly ordinary encounters potentially fatal.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu and Tang Wulin discuss using the Golden Dragon King’s excess energy to aid Arceus, but the danger prevents immediate cooperation.
• Wu Zhangkong gives Class Zero final-exam instructions.
• Tang Wulin distributes protective armor to his classmates, reinforcing his supportive relationship with the group.
• Su Yu, Old Dou, and Old Steel coordinate the delivery of the Stone Plate to Arceus.
• Miaomiao offers Su Yu protection, but her companions reject the idea because they believe he would slow them down.
• Su Yu maintains a mental exchange with Xiao You, who accompanies him and relies on him for food.

Chapter Summary: “Savage Bull Herd!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving an area where Savage Bulls are fighting, Su Yu travels through the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform toward a chosen location. He avoids Soul Beasts rather than hunting them, since killing them would leave spiritual energy around him and potentially attract attacks from other Soul Masters.
• The Soul Beasts are behaving abnormally because of the platform’s rampaging period: they have lost their territorial instincts and wander freely, making encounters frequent but also allowing Su Yu to escape using moves such as Double Team and Quick Attack.
• With only minutes remaining in the half-hour final exam, Su Yu reaches a sandy clearing and waits until the exam period ends before beginning his plan.
• He activates his Rock Soul Ring and uses the Rock-type move Sandstorm. By placing a Smooth Rock at the storm’s center, he allows the Sandstorm to continue without constantly consuming his Soul Power.
• Su Yu scatters special Energy Cubes made from berries that restore stamina, attract creatures, and induce confusion. He hides nearby, intending to lure powerful Soul Beasts into fighting each other.
• A large Savage Bull herd, led by a Ten-thousand-year Savage Bull King, enters the Sandstorm. Su Yu realizes that the herd appears to possess Rock-type attributes and considers the Savage Bull King’s horns potentially useful.
• A Ten-thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider also arrives, drawn in by the Energy Cubes. Because of the rampaging period and the confusing scent, it ignores the danger of confronting the much larger herd.
• The Savage Bull King leads the herd in attacking the spider. The Sandstorm disrupts the spider’s venomous webs, blowing many of them back or preventing them from traveling far.
• The chapter ends with the Savage Bull herd repeatedly ramming and throwing the Human-Faced Demon Spider through the air. During the exchange, the spider manages to leave a venomous fang mark on the Savage Bull King’s neck, but the herd maintains the advantage.

Character Developments

• Su Yu demonstrates increasing tactical skill and preparation. Rather than relying on direct combat, he uses terrain, weather, special items, and the creatures’ altered mental states to create a battle that benefits him.
• He appears more confident and opportunistic, openly anticipating that the trap will yield valuable rewards.
• Su Yu’s familiarity with the Spirit Ascension Platform is emphasized; he understands the habits of different Soul Beasts and uses that knowledge to avoid unnecessary danger.
• The Savage Bull King is established as a powerful and decisive herd leader, immediately initiating the attack and coordinating the herd’s charge.
• The Human-Faced Demon Spider is portrayed as dangerous but irrational during the rampaging period, allowing confusion and instinct to override its usual caution.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Su Yu turns the environment and the Soul Beasts’ own instincts against them instead of fighting directly.
• Exploitation of circumstances: The rampaging period, Sandstorm, sandy terrain, and Energy Cubes combine to create the ideal conditions for Su Yu’s trap.
• Nature and altered instincts: The Soul Beasts’ loss of territorial awareness and susceptibility to confusion show how abnormal conditions disrupt natural behavior.
• Resourcefulness and preparation: Su Yu’s use of the Smooth Rock and specially prepared Energy Cubes highlights the importance of planning and specialized tools.
• Risk and opportunism: Su Yu remains hidden while powerful creatures fight, waiting to benefit from the outcome without exposing himself prematurely.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu does not directly confront the Soul Masters or Soul Beasts he encounters; his cautious behavior prevents unnecessary conflict.
• The Savage Bull King leads its herd against the Human-Faced Demon Spider, relying on numbers, unity, and coordinated attacks.
• The Human-Faced Demon Spider responds aggressively despite being outnumbered, using venomous webs and direct attacks.
• Su Yu acts as an unseen manipulator, drawing both sides together and observing their battle so he can collect the benefits afterward.

Chapter Summary: “Another Soul Bone!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu observes a battle inside a powerful Sandstorm generated by a Savage Bull King and its herd.
• A Ten-thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider fights the herd with unusual ferocity. Enhanced by the special Energy Cube, it enters a frenzy, mutilates itself, injects its own venom, and continues attacking despite severe injuries.
• Several other Soul Beasts, including a Three-Eyed Demon Ape, enter the Sandstorm to seize the Energy Cubes. Smaller Thousand-year Soul Beasts are slaughtered by the Human-Faced Demon Spider and Savage Bull herd.
• The deaths release spiritual energy, which gathers around the Smooth Rock at the center of the Sandstorm and forms a small cloud of condensed spiritual energy.
• A three-way conflict develops among the Human-Faced Demon Spider, the Savage Bull herd, and the Three-Eyed Demon Ape.
• The Three-Eyed Demon Ape uses its third eye to unleash powerful mental attacks. It incapacitates the Human-Faced Demon Spider and disrupts the Savage Bull King, but the enraged herd still overwhelms and drives it from the Sandstorm.
• The Savage Bull herd tramples the defenseless Human-Faced Demon Spider, killing it.
• The spider’s body disappears, leaving behind an External Soul Bone. Su Yu draws it to himself, and Xiao You absorbs it, causing purple, skeletal spider legs to begin forming behind Su Yu.
• As Su Yu moves to the Smooth Rock to oversee Xiao You’s absorption of the spiritual energy, the Three-Eyed Demon Ape returns just as the Savage Bull King is about to consume the Energy Cubes.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Remains observant and strategic, studying the Soul Beasts’ abilities and using the battle to collect spiritual energy and obtain the Human-Faced Demon Spider’s Soul Bone. His control over the Sandstorm allows him to manipulate the battlefield and retrieve the Soul Bone safely.
• Xiao You: Demonstrates the ability to absorb an External Soul Bone and incorporate its traits. Its absorption begins transforming Su Yu’s body, producing spider-like skeletal limbs.
• Human-Faced Demon Spider: Shows extraordinary physical resilience and combat power, likely because it is a disciplined or specially enhanced specimen. It fights beyond the normal limits of its species but ultimately falls to the Savage Bull herd after being mentally stunned.
• Savage Bull King: Reveals control over the Sandstorm and strong physical power. Although affected by the Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s mental attack, it retains enough force to defeat both the Demon Ape temporarily and the Human-Faced Demon Spider.
• Three-Eyed Demon Ape: Establishes itself as a dangerous mental-type Soul Beast capable of overwhelming opponents with its third eye. Despite this advantage, it is physically driven away by the Savage Bull herd before returning to the battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Survival and opportunism: Soul Beasts are drawn to the Energy Cubes, turning the Sandstorm into a deadly struggle where even weaker creatures become resources for stronger ones.
• Power through adaptation: The Human-Faced Demon Spider’s frenzy and Xiao You’s absorption of the Soul Bone both demonstrate how strength can be gained through dangerous transformation and adaptation.
• Battlefield manipulation: Su Yu’s Sandstorm experiment turns the environment into a weapon and causes combat, death, and spiritual energy to accumulate around the Smooth Rock.
• Unpredictability of power: Mental abilities, physical strength, venom, and environmental control each provide different advantages, making the outcome of the battle difficult to predict.
• Accumulation of spiritual energy: The deaths of numerous Soul Beasts begin creating a substantial concentration of spiritual energy, suggesting that the Sandstorm may produce a significant benefit for Su Yu.

Character Interactions

• The Human-Faced Demon Spider and Savage Bull herd repeatedly clash over control of the Energy Cubes.
• Both temporarily cooperate in attacking the newly arrived Three-Eyed Demon Ape, though their hostility toward each other resumes afterward.
• The Three-Eyed Demon Ape attacks both sides with mental shocks, disabling the spider and confusing the Savage Bull King.
• The Savage Bull herd defeats the Three-Eyed Demon Ape for the moment, then kills the incapacitated Human-Faced Demon Spider.
• Su Yu intervenes indirectly by controlling the Sandstorm and directly by claiming the spider’s Soul Bone for Xiao You.
• The chapter ends with the Three-Eyed Demon Ape returning, setting up another confrontation over the Energy Cubes.

Chapter Summary: “Total Riot!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu observes a massive battle from atop Smooth Rock, concealed within a Sandstorm. The Soul Beasts are distracted by special Energy Cubes and by fighting one another, allowing him to remain unnoticed.
• Miaomiao and the refined man, Brother Li, survive after their companion Old Zhao is eliminated by a herd of Savage Bulls. They decide to hunt weaker Soul Beasts to recover the value of Old Zhao’s ticket.
• Before they can act, a huge stampede of Soul Beasts—ranging from thousand-year to ten-thousand-year beasts—rushes toward the Sandstorm. Miaomiao and Brother Li narrowly avoid being trampled.
• Brother Li realizes that the Soul Beasts are likely gathering around something valuable inside the Sandstorm. He theorizes that a white cloud visible within the storm is a concentration of spiritual power created by the deaths of many Soul Beasts.
• Su Yu continues feeding the gathered spiritual power to Xiao You, whose golden-covered hand and spider legs absorb the energy.
• The Savage Bull King, already weakened by the delayed poison of the Human-Faced Demon Spider, finally collapses. Its death drives the remaining Savage Bulls into a suicidal frenzy.
• The Savage Bulls unleash a final charge, creating a massive phantom of their leader in the Sandstorm. Su Yu strengthens the chaos by crushing and adding more special Energy Cubes.
• The Energy Cubes cause the Soul Beasts’ injuries to partially recover while also intensifying their madness, leading them to slaughter one another.
• Su Yu notices that numerous Soul Masters have entered the area to exploit the chaos and obtain spiritual power.
• In the Spirit Pagoda’s control room, a staff member reports that the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform has undergone an abnormal Soul Beast riot. The deputy tower master initially mistakes the report for an ordinary part of the scheduled riot period, but the staff member struggles to explain how serious and unusual the situation is.

Character Developments

• Su Yu becomes increasingly deliberate and manipulative. Rather than merely observing the conflict, he actively escalates it with additional Energy Cubes to maximize the spiritual power available to Xiao You.
• Miaomiao and Brother Li demonstrate teamwork and resilience after Old Zhao’s elimination. Their fear of the stampede is overcome by greed and ambition when they realize the Sandstorm may contain an enormous spiritual-power opportunity.
• Old Zhao remains absent after being eliminated, motivating his former companions to earn back the value of his ticket.
• The Savage Bull King reaches the end of its strength after the Human-Faced Demon Spider’s poison finally takes effect. Its death triggers the herd’s last desperate attack.
• The Spirit Pagoda staff recognize that something is wrong but are initially hindered by the deputy tower master’s dismissive attitude and by the unprecedented nature of the incident.

Significant Themes

• Chaos as opportunity: The battlefield’s destruction becomes a chance for Su Yu and the incoming Soul Masters to gain enormous spiritual power.
• Manipulation of natural forces: Su Yu deliberately uses the Energy Cubes to influence the Soul Beasts’ behavior, turning an existing conflict into a full-scale riot.
• Risk and greed: Miaomiao and Brother Li understand the danger but still move toward it because of the potential rewards.
• Sacrifice and final resistance: The Savage Bull herd’s final attack represents a desperate counterattack after the loss of its leader.
• Failure to recognize danger: The Spirit Pagoda’s control room initially treats the event as routine, highlighting the gap between ordinary expectations and the unprecedented crisis unfolding inside the platform.

Character Interactions

• Miaomiao and Brother Li support one another after Old Zhao’s elimination, though Miaomiao is more cautious while Brother Li pushes forward.
• Brother Li persuades Miaomiao that the white cloud inside the Sandstorm signals concentrated spiritual power, motivating her to approach the danger.
• Su Yu works with Xiao You, directing it to absorb the immense spiritual energy gathering around the battlefield.
• The Savage Bull King’s death drives the remaining Savage Bulls into a collective berserk attack.
• The staff member repeatedly tries to warn the deputy tower master, but the official interrupts and dismisses him before finally demanding an explanation.

Chapter Summary: “Cooperation?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Staff at the Spirit Ascension Platform discover that Soul Beasts in the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform are dying and consuming spiritual power at an unprecedented rate because they are attacking one another.
• The Deputy Tower Master realizes the platform may collapse if the losses continue and considers shutting it down, though doing so would also affect the other platforms and incur enormous penalties. He orders the Tower Master to be found.
• Inside the platform, Su Yu continues absorbing massive amounts of spiritual power. The energy becomes so dense that it forms white mist, while Xiao You’s life force rapidly increases. White light appears around Su Yu’s hand and back, possibly signaling Pokémon-like evolution.
• As the Soul Beasts slaughter one another, the released spiritual power gathers into enormous clouds. Around seventy or eighty Soul Masters hide nearby, waiting to absorb the energy once the battle ends.
• Brother Li proposes that the group wait and divide the spiritual power after the final Soul Beast is defeated. Wang Teng, a powerful Soul Sage ranked on the Mainland Chronicles Rankings, warns that they should avoid absorbing too much at once.
• Only two Soul Beasts remain: a massive Earth Dragon controlling the Sandstorm and a Flame Eagle surrounded by fire. Instead of fighting, they communicate and form an agreement: the Earth Dragon will take the Smooth Rock, the Flame Eagle will take the Energy Cubes, and they will divide the accumulated spiritual power.
• Their cooperation disrupts the Soul Masters’ plan. Wang Teng orders the group to attack immediately, assigning defensive, offensive, and control roles against the two extremely powerful Soul Beasts.

Character Developments

• Deputy Tower Master: Shifts from casual confidence to alarm as he realizes the scale of the spiritual-power loss. He is forced to confront a crisis with no painless solution.
• Su Yu: Continues growing stronger through spiritual-power absorption and notices signs that Xiao You may be evolving. His connection with Xiao You appears to be producing unusual physical changes.
• Xiao You: Experiences a dramatic increase in life force, suggesting rapid advancement or an impending evolution.
• Brother Li: Acts as a cautious organizer, attempting to coordinate the waiting Soul Masters and prevent them from greedily absorbing too much power. He becomes more uneasy after recognizing Wang Teng’s strength.
• Miaomiao: Reveals her lack of knowledge about rankings and is openly impressed by Wang Teng’s reputation and achievements.
• Wang Teng: Establishes himself as the strongest and most authoritative figure among the Soul Masters. His leadership becomes crucial once the Soul Beasts abandon their fight.
• Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle: Demonstrate intelligence and strategic judgment by abandoning mutual destruction and cooperating for greater rewards.

Significant Themes

• Cooperation over conflict: The two strongest Soul Beasts realize that collaboration is more advantageous than fighting, contrasting with the humans’ expectation that only one victor will remain.
• Greed and competition: The Soul Masters hide and wait to seize the spiritual power, showing how opportunity quickly encourages selfishness and rivalry.
• Power and reputation: Wang Teng’s ranking immediately changes how others perceive him, emphasizing the influence of status and demonstrated strength.
• Uncontrolled consequences: The Soul Beasts’ rampage creates a crisis for the Spirit Ascension Platform, showing how powerful forces can destabilize larger systems.
• Evolution and transformation: Su Yu and Xiao You’s rapid growth, along with the possible evolutionary light, introduces the possibility of a major breakthrough.

Character Interactions

• The staff report the crisis to the Deputy Tower Master, who reacts by ordering an investigation and considering an emergency shutdown.
• Brother Li attempts to organize the Soul Masters and is challenged indirectly by Wang Teng’s intimidating presence.
• Miaomiao asks Brother Li about Wang Teng, prompting an explanation of the Mainland Chronicles Rankings and Wang Teng’s exceptional abilities.
• Wang Teng coordinates the Soul Masters into a battle formation after the Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle cooperate, assigning defensive, offensive, and control responsibilities.
• The Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle communicate nonverbally and negotiate a resource-sharing agreement, directly overturning the humans’ planned strategy.

Chapter Summary: “Evolution?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu remains inside a dense cloud of spiritual energy, allowing Xiao You to absorb it and evolve. The white glow surrounding him is confirmed to be Evolutionary Light, distinct from the gray-silver light of his King's Shield.
• Two powerful ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts—a defensive Earth Dragon and a Flame Eagle—realize that Su Yu may be vulnerable while protecting Xiao You and begin closing in.
• Su Yu separates Xiao You from his body so it can finish evolving while he prepares to stall the Soul Beasts. He recognizes that defeating both would be nearly impossible without borrowing Arceus’s power.
• Before Su Yu can intervene, Wang Teng, Xia Xia, and several other Soul Masters enter the battlefield. They assume the spiritual energy belongs to them and attack the Soul Beasts to secure it.
• Wang Teng leads the assault against the Earth Dragon, using Dragon Armor and his seven Soul Rings. His Dragon Aura appears to exert a form of bloodline suppression over the beast.
• Xia Xia and the others target the Flame Eagle. Her vines initially bind it and absorb its ordinary flames, apparently making the Soul Beast helpless.
• The Flame Eagle becomes increasingly enraged and awakens Ultimate Flame, transforming its fire from red to blue and burning through Xia Xia’s vines.
• It then unleashes a storm of flaming feathers, forcing the Soul Masters to scatter. Xia Xia activates her Martial Soul Avatar and creates enormous vine pillars for a more powerful counterattack.
• Xia Xia and Wang Teng exchange a meaningful glance and appear to coordinate their next move.

Character Developments

• Su Yu demonstrates caution and tactical awareness. Rather than recklessly fight two ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, he prioritizes buying time for Xiao You’s evolution and carefully observes the battle.
• Xiao You reaches the final stage of its evolution, though the transformation is not yet complete by the chapter’s end.
• Wang Teng is portrayed as a confident and ambitious Soul Master seeking to improve his position on the Mainland Chronicles Rankings. His Dragon Armor and Dragon Aura reveal considerable strength.
• Xia Xia is established as another highly capable seven-ring Soul Sage. She initially dominates the Flame Eagle with fire-absorbing vines but adapts quickly once the beast reveals Ultimate Flame.
• The Flame Eagle develops from seemingly trapped prey into a dangerous opponent, revealing intelligence, rage, and a powerful hidden ability.

Significant Themes

• Evolution and transformation: Xiao You’s imminent evolution is the central development, while the Flame Eagle’s Ultimate Flame represents an unexpected transformation of its own power.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Neither Su Yu nor the Soul Beasts’ true conditions are immediately clear. The Flame Eagle in particular appears vulnerable until its rage unlocks a stronger ability.
• Strategy versus brute force: Su Yu relies on timing and observation, while Wang Teng and Xia Xia coordinate group tactics against overwhelming opponents.
• Competition and opportunism: The Soul Masters view the spiritual energy as a prize and intervene for personal gain, even though Su Yu is already using it for Xiao You’s evolution.
• Adaptation: Xia Xia’s initial advantage disappears when her fire-absorbing vines meet Ultimate Flame, forcing her to change tactics.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu remains aware of the Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle while they monitor him, creating a tense standoff.
• Wang Teng rallies the Soul Masters and leads the attack against the Earth Dragon.
• Xia Xia mocks the Flame Eagle for repeatedly using flames against her fire-immune, flame-absorbing vines.
• After the Flame Eagle breaks free, Xia Xia warns the others about Ultimate Flame and shifts from restraint to direct offense.
• Xia Xia and Wang Teng exchange a silent nod, suggesting they have formed a coordinated plan to defeat the Soul Beasts.

Chapter Summary: “Completion? (Two-in-One)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle overwhelm the Soul Masters trapped in the Sandstorm. More than a hundred participants are eliminated, leaving only Miaomiao, Brother Li, two Soul Sages, Wang Teng, and Xia Xia.
• As the remaining Soul Masters prepare to escape, the spiritual-energy cloud suddenly vanishes. Su Yu is revealed at its center beside the Smooth Rock, having absorbed all the energy through Xiao You.
• The Earth Dragon attempts to swallow Su Yu, but Xiao You transforms into a powerful armor and fuses with him. Su Yu uses the Dark Gold Terrorclaw to strike the Earth Dragon away and injure it.
• Xiao You dramatically amplifies Su Yu’s strength, raising him from roughly the level of three or four Soul Rings to a level capable of contending with Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts—possibly equivalent to six or seven Soul Rings.
• Su Yu analyzes the Soul Beasts using Pokémon-type weaknesses. He determines that both are quadruple-weak to Rock-based attacks: the Earth Dragon because of its Ground/Rock and Dragon attributes, and the Flame Eagle because of its Fire/Flying attributes.
• Using King’s Shield, Rock Tomb, and other defensive techniques, Su Yu blocks the Earth Dragon’s boulder and the Flame Eagle’s Ultimate Flame feathers with ease.
• Su Yu then combines Rock Seal and Rock Tomb, trapping the Flame Eagle between falling boulders and rising stone spikes. The combined attack heavily injures or kills it.
• When the Earth Dragon tries to flee, Su Yu fuses the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, Metal Claw, and Sonic Punch into a devastating three-type claw attack. He instantly cuts through and destroys the Earth Dragon, which dissolves into spiritual energy.
• After witnessing Su Yu’s strength and rare armor, Wang Teng and Xia Xia decide to ambush him and steal the armor. Wang Teng promises Xia Xia that he will compensate him with Two-Word Battle Armor if they succeed.

Character Developments

• Su Yu gains complete control over Xiao You’s armor and discovers the enormous enhancement it provides. He becomes confident enough to fight two Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts alone.
• Su Yu’s combat style develops through analysis and adaptation. Rather than relying only on raw strength, he studies the enemies’ attributes and exploits their weaknesses with carefully selected Rock, Steel, and Fighting techniques.
• Wang Teng shifts from cautious observation to greed and hostility after realizing that Xiao You’s armor is detachable, absorbs spiritual energy, and may be extremely valuable.
• Xia Xia remains reluctant to attack a child, recognizing that Su Yu may be too powerful to defeat and questioning whether the plan is wise. However, Wang Teng’s promise of Two-Word Battle Armor persuades him.
• Miaomiao, Brother Li, and the bespectacled man become spectators after retreating from the battle. They are astonished by Su Yu’s abilities, while the bespectacled man recognizes his potential to rank first on the Youth Prodigy Rankings.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and sudden transformation: Su Yu’s apparent vulnerability conceals Xiao You’s extraordinary strength, allowing him to reverse the battle instantly.
• Strategy over brute force: Su Yu wins by identifying elemental weaknesses and combining attacks rather than simply overpowering his enemies.
• Greed and opportunism: Wang Teng’s admiration quickly turns into a desire to seize Su Yu’s armor for profit and power.
• Youthful genius: Su Yu’s age, three Soul Rings, special armor, and ability to defeat Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts mark him as an exceptional prodigy.
• Competition and betrayal: The Spirit Ascension Platform permits unrestricted fighting, causing former allies and observers to consider attacking Su Yu once he appears weakened or valuable.

Character Interactions

• Miaomiao and Brother Li discuss retreating as the other Soul Masters disappear, while both recognize Su Yu as the mysterious child they encountered earlier.
• Wang Teng and Xia Xia observe Su Yu’s battle from a safe distance, discussing the nature and value of his armor.
• The bespectacled man records the entire fight and considers recommending Su Yu for the Youth Prodigy Rankings, hoping to gain rewards or recruit him.
• Wang Teng pressures Xia Xia into joining an ambush, appealing to his greed and promising him Two-Word Battle Armor.
• Su Yu directly confronts the Earth Dragon and Flame Eagle, confidently explaining their weaknesses before defeating them.

Chapter Summary: “Exams Over!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Teng and Xia Xia ambush Su Yu after the final exam, using One-Word Battle Armor, Martial Soul Avatars, and control abilities to restrain him.
• Su Yu realizes he is outmatched and attempts to activate his distress beacon, but Xia Xia’s vines and Wang Teng’s armor-based Soul Skill prevent an immediate escape.
• To protect himself, Su Yu releases a portion of Arceus’s divine pressure. The overwhelming aura terrifies Wang Teng and Xia Xia, forcing them to stop their attack.
• Su Yu activates the distress beacon and safely leaves the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform.
• He discovers that he has drained all the spiritual energy in the platform, causing major trouble for the East Sea Spirit Pagoda. The Pagoda’s attempted emergency shutdown caused severe mental backlash for Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and the others.
• The Spirit Pagoda’s leaders argue over the mishandled shutdown. The deputy pagoda master is blamed, while the organization’s reputation suffers further damage.
• Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu eventually lead the students out of the Pagoda amid public protests. Su Yu receives a perfect score of 100 for the final exam, while the other students receive 99.
• With the exams finished, the students begin a month-and-a-half vacation. Su Yu invites Tang Wulin to undergo special training, and Gu Yue unexpectedly insists on joining them.
• At Team Rocket’s headquarters, Su Yu demonstrates that Soul Masters can use moves modeled after their Pokémon Soul Spirits. He performs Sonic Punch through Bloodline Power, Gu Yue uses Fire Blast through elemental energy, and Tang Wulin begins learning Stufful’s Strength.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Demonstrates increased tactical awareness by recognizing that fighting Wang Teng and Xia Xia directly is unwise. His mastery of Arceus’s pressure gives him a powerful defensive advantage. He also begins developing a training system based on Pokémon moves and different forms of Soul Power.
• Wang Teng and Xia Xia: Their confidence collapses when confronted with Su Yu’s divine aura. Although their Battle Armor gives them strength approaching the Soul Douluo level, they realize Su Yu possesses an even more frightening power.
• Gu Yue: Shows concern for Su Yu and becomes visibly embarrassed around him. Her jealousy or possessiveness appears when she sees Su Yu acting closely with Tang Wulin, prompting her to join their vacation training.
• Tang Wulin: Remains uncertain about his vacation plans but eagerly accepts Su Yu’s offer of special training. He becomes interested in learning moves from Stufful.
• The Spirit Pagoda leadership: Suffers humiliation and internal conflict after the failed shutdown. Their poor decision-making creates mental backlash for students and further damages the organization’s reputation.
• Miaomiao: Becomes fascinated by Su Yu after witnessing his confident escape, openly admiring his strength and demeanor.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and intimidation: Su Yu does not need to reveal his full strength; even a limited release of Arceus’s aura is enough to overwhelm powerful opponents.
• Consequences of institutional incompetence: The Spirit Pagoda’s attempt to minimize losses instead causes greater harm, public outrage, and reputational damage.
• Innovation versus established systems: Battle Armor represents the current standard of strength, but Xiao You and Su Yu’s Pokémon-based abilities challenge conventional Soul Master development.
• Growth through training: The end of the exams marks a transition from testing to deliberate self-improvement, with Su Yu planning to help his companions develop new techniques.
• Relationships and emotional tension: Gu Yue’s reactions suggest growing feelings for Su Yu, expressed through embarrassment, concern, and jealousy.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yu and Wang Teng/Xia Xia: Their confrontation establishes the gap between conventional Battle Armor power and Su Yu’s mysterious divine abilities.
• Su Yu and Gu Yue: Gu Yue worries about Su Yu’s safety, becomes flustered when he looks at her, and reacts irritably to his closeness with Tang Wulin.
• Su Yu and Tang Wulin: Su Yu treats Tang Wulin warmly and takes responsibility for his development, promising to give him special training during the vacation.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin: Gu Yue inserts herself into Su Yu and Tang Wulin’s plans, while Tang Wulin remains confused by her emotional reaction.
• Su Yu, Gu Yue, and their Soul Spirits: Their training session reveals that Pokémon Soul Spirits can teach their partners corresponding moves, opening a new path for combat development.

Chapter Summary: “Extreme North!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue undergo intensive training within Team Rocket, with Xie Xie joining them to practice Pokémon moves. Under the guidance of Pokémon Soul Spirits, they quickly learn the basics but discover that mastering these moves requires constant practice because they function as Self-Created Soul Skills rather than instinctive Soul Ring abilities.
• Tang Wulin successfully uses ordinary Soul Power to perform a Normal-type move, while Xie Xie practices Quick Attack. Su Yu recognizes their potential as future pillars of Team Rocket.
• Old Rock and Old Steel travel to the Extreme North in search of the fourth Slate. The region, once a dangerous habitat for powerful Soul Beasts, has been devastated by the poaching and exploitation that occurred ten thousand years earlier.
• At the same time, Leng Yaozhu leads a Spirit Pagoda expedition into the Extreme North to locate Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow. Her group unknowingly follows a route that brings them close to Old Rock and Old Steel.
• Old Rock and Old Steel take shelter in a stone cave during the worsening blizzard. They later encounter Leng Yaozhu’s group. Although Leng Yaozhu is suspicious of the masked strangers, she avoids conflict, and both groups temporarily use the same cave.
• Old Rock and Old Steel leave after Leng Yaozhu directly asks whether they are searching for the mysterious ice marrow. They deny it and continue tracking the Slate, which appears to be buried deep underground.
• Old Steel uses a Metal Claw-like attack to clear the snow and break into the ground, while Old Rock excavates further. They remain alert in case the noise attracts enemies.
• Back at Team Rocket, Gu Yue becomes alarmed when Eevee begins glowing with Evolutionary Light. Su Yu realizes that Eevee is attempting to evolve, but the process seems incomplete and does not stop naturally.
• Eevee suppresses the evolution herself, revealing physical signs of her unique identity as the true Silver Dragon King Eevee, including small horns and seven differently colored markings on her tail.
• Su Yu gives Eevee an Everstone to temporarily prevent further evolution. He concludes that she likely lacks sufficient energy or growth to complete the transformation and praises Gu Yue for being a devoted Pokémon Trainer.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin demonstrates that he can channel ordinary Soul Power into Pokémon moves, establishing a foundation for combining his existing abilities with Pokémon techniques.
• Xie Xie eagerly embraces the new training and begins learning Quick Attack, showing enthusiasm and adaptability.
• Gu Yue displays deep concern for Eevee and immediately seeks Su Yu’s help, reinforcing her emotional attachment and responsibility toward her Pokémon.
• Eevee begins showing signs of a major evolution connected to her Silver Dragon King nature. Her ability to suppress the Evolutionary Light suggests unusual control and a unique evolutionary process.
• Su Yu continues developing as a mentor and leader. He supports the trainees, manages the Arceus avatars, diagnoses Eevee’s condition, and provides a practical temporary solution.
• Leng Yaozhu is revealed as powerful, approachable, and dutiful, though frustrated by being ordered to bring weaker companions on the mission. Her caution around Old Rock and Old Steel shows strong intuition.
• Old Rock and Old Steel continue functioning as Su Yu’s remote avatars. Their identical speech and behavior humorously reveal that Su Yu is effectively talking to himself while controlling them.

Significant Themes

• Growth through discipline: Learning Pokémon moves is not automatic; it requires persistent effort, reflecting the difference between innate abilities and self-created techniques.
• Evolution and readiness: Eevee’s incomplete evolution emphasizes that transformation requires sufficient strength, energy, and maturity rather than merely meeting a basic condition.
• Discovery and competition: Both Team Rocket and the Spirit Pagoda are pursuing valuable resources in the Extreme North, creating the possibility of future conflict.
• Decline of nature: The weakened Soul Beast population reveals the long-term consequences of exploitation and environmental destruction.
• Identity and hidden power: Eevee’s unique markings and Silver Dragon King traits suggest that her true nature is far more significant than her current appearance indicates.
• Leadership and responsibility: Su Yu, Gu Yue, and Leng Yaozhu each take responsibility for others, though they do so in different ways—through guidance, care, or command.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu supervises Tang Wulin and Xie Xie’s training, encouraging their development.
• Gu Yue turns to Su Yu in panic over Eevee’s condition, and he reassures both her and Eevee.
• Su Yu’s praise of Gu Yue strengthens their mentor-student relationship and validates her bond with Eevee.
• Old Rock and Old Steel repeatedly interact as though they are separate individuals, though their identical speech exposes their connection to Su Yu.
• Leng Yaozhu questions Old Rock and Old Steel and senses that they are hiding their true purpose. Their guarded answers maintain tension between the two groups.
• The Spirit Pagoda members rely heavily on Leng Yaozhu for protection and direction, while the frail woman caring for the group demonstrates camaraderie by preparing meat soup for everyone.

Chapter Summary: “Evil Fire Phoenix?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Leng Yaozhu senses the disturbance caused by Old Steel and Old Rock’s excavation and leads her Spirit Pagoda group toward them.
• Underground, Old Rock discovers a glowing mine tunnel made of blue ice crystals, confirming the presence of an Ice Crystal Cave. He continues digging beneath it in search of a Slate.
• Old Steel encounters Leng Yaozhu’s group but avoids provoking her, recognizing that her strength is beyond his and Old Rock’s ability to challenge.
• Leng Yaozhu attempts to negotiate with Old Steel for the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, but he dismisses the Spirit Pagoda and refuses to cooperate.
• Leng Yulai, Leng Yaozhu’s younger sister and one of the Holy Spirit Cult’s Four Great Protectors, arrives and reveals that she has deliberately set a trap for Leng Yaozhu.
• Leng Yulai’s plan involves secretly administering food infused with Evil Fire Phoenix blood and bones. For a Phoenix-blooded Soul Master, this acts as a powerful aphrodisiac rather than a normal tonic.
• Leng Yaozhu’s Ultimate Flame can neutralize ordinary toxins, but it cannot easily expel the Evil Fire while she is distracted and surrounded by the fragrance stimulating it.
• As Leng Yaozhu loses control, members of her own group begin reacting to the same influence, proving that the expedition may have been compromised from the beginning.
• Leng Yaozhu attempts to escape in Sky Phoenix form, but Leng Yulai strikes her down with dark-red flames.
• Her Four-Word Battle Armor automatically protects her, but she crashes near Old Steel and instinctively grabs him while under the Evil Fire’s influence.
• Leng Yulai and the frail nine-ringed Soul Master use the situation to trap Old Steel, claiming that this is the “fortuitous opportunity” they offered him.
• Meanwhile, Old Rock finds a yellow Slate underground. Old Steel identifies it as the Earth Plate rather than the Ice Pillar Slate, but accepts it because any Slate is valuable.
• While returning through the Ice Crystal Cave, Old Steel senses an exceptionally pure Ice-type aura, suggesting that the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow may be nearby.

Character Developments

• Leng Yaozhu: Demonstrates immense strength as a Limit Douluo with Ultimate Flame, but her trust in the Spirit Pagoda expedition is shaken. She realizes that her mission and companions may have been manipulated. Her normally disciplined control begins to collapse under the Evil Fire, forcing her into a desperate escape.
• Leng Yulai: Reveals herself as a calculating and sadistic antagonist. Rather than confronting Leng Yaozhu directly, she exploits her sister’s weaknesses, uses deception, and waits until Leng Yaozhu is incapacitated before attacking.
• Old Steel: Remains focused on obtaining a Slate and refuses to become involved in the sisters’ conflict. Despite his attempts to stay neutral, he is dragged into the trap when Leng Yaozhu crashes into him.
• Old Rock: Proves useful through his earth-manipulation abilities, successfully excavating the underground chamber and locating the Earth Plate.
• The frail young woman: Is revealed to be a powerful nine-ringed Soul Master and a collaborator with Leng Yulai. Her apparently weak appearance conceals both her strength and her role in poisoning the expedition’s food with Evil Fire Phoenix materials.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and mistrust: Leng Yaozhu discovers that people within her own group may have betrayed her, while Leng Yulai specifically exploits their sisterly relationship.
• Power versus vulnerability: Even a powerful Limit Douluo can be compromised when her emotional and physical weaknesses are targeted.
• Deception beneath appearances: The frail girl is secretly a Titled Douluo, the expedition may be a staged trap, and the “fortuitous opportunity” offered to Old Steel is actually a dangerous snare.
• Conflicting objectives: Old Steel and Old Rock care only about finding Slates, while Leng Yaozhu seeks the Ice Marrow and Leng Yulai seeks her sister’s destruction.
• Control and desire: The Evil Fire becomes both a literal weapon and a symbol of the loss of self-control, threatening to overwhelm Leng Yaozhu’s discipline and judgment.

Character Interactions

• Leng Yaozhu and Old Steel exchange a tense negotiation over the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, with Old Steel openly insulting the Spirit Pagoda.
• Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai confront one another as hostile sisters. Leng Yulai taunts her while revealing that the entire situation was designed to become Leng Yaozhu’s grave.
• The frail Soul Master admits that she tampered with the soup, confirming Leng Yaozhu’s suspicion of betrayal.
• Old Steel tries to remain uninvolved, but Leng Yulai and the frail Soul Master block his retreat.
• Under the Evil Fire’s influence, Leng Yaozhu clings to Old Steel after crashing beside him, placing him in an unwilling and highly dangerous confrontation.
• The chapter ends with Old Steel discovering the Earth Plate and sensing the possible presence of the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow in the Ice Crystal Cave.

Chapter Summary: “Leng Yulai!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Leng Yulai uses her Evil Fire Phoenix’s power to control Leng Yaozhu, leaving her unconscious and behaving erratically. She encourages Old Steel to take advantage of the situation, but he resists and decides to escape.
• Old Steel activates his Three-Word Battle Armor, King’s Shield, and Lighten Body, allowing him to break free from Leng Yaozhu and flee at high speed.
• Old Rock secretly escapes underground. Leng Yulai orders her frail companion, a Three-Word Battle Armor user, to pursue Old Steel, while she personally tracks Old Rock.
• Leng Yulai unleashes her Dark Phoenix power and attacks Old Rock with phoenix-claw strikes. Old Rock uses Rock Tomb and Stealth Rock to delay her, evade her attacks, and eventually injure her with hidden rocks.
• Behind them, Leng Yaozhu reveals that she had only pretended to be under the Evil Fire’s control. After Leng Yulai leaves, she meditates and uses her Ultimate Flame to purge the Evil Fire.
• Several people approach Leng Yaozhu with improper intentions while she appears vulnerable. She burns them to ash with a furious command, frightening everyone else into stopping.
• The frail girl catches up to Old Steel and relies on an intangible, mist-like transformation to evade his attacks. However, Old Steel uses Arceus-derived Foresight/Detect to see through her defense and lands a devastating Metal Claw, seriously injuring her.
• Old Steel and Old Rock reunite, combining their abilities and escaping together. Their shared origin and synchronized powers function much like a perfect Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
• Leng Yulai catches up, enraged by Old Rock’s Stealth Rock attacks. She activates her Martial Soul Avatar and separates her Dark Phoenix’s attributes into two phoenixes: one embodying ultimate darkness, the other Ultimate Flame.
• Her dual attacks melt the surrounding snow and overwhelm the battlefield. Old Steel and Old Rock work together defensively, using King’s Shield and Rock Tomb to withstand and block the attacks.

Character Developments

• Old Steel: Demonstrates strong self-control by refusing to exploit Leng Yaozhu’s condition. He reveals tactical intelligence by using Foresight to counter the frail girl’s intangibility and proves that he and Old Rock are far more powerful when fighting together.
• Old Rock: Shows creativity and resourcefulness through underground escape tactics, Rock Tomb, and repeated use of Stealth Rock. His traps significantly inconvenience Leng Yulai despite her superior strength.
• Leng Yulai: Establishes herself as a dangerous Evil Soul Master with immense offensive power. Her control over both darkness and fire reaches a new level when she separates the two attributes into distinct phoenix forms. Her anger and pride intensify her pursuit of Old Steel and Old Rock.
• Leng Yaozhu: Reveals that she retained control and only pretended to be corrupted. Her ability to purge the Evil Fire and instantly punish the opportunistic onlookers emphasizes her formidable strength, authority, and moral decisiveness.
• The frail girl: Initially confident because of her higher cultivation rank, she underestimates Old Steel. Her intangibility is countered by Foresight, leaving her badly defeated.
• Old Steel and Old Rock: Their partnership is clarified as a near-perfect fusion, amplified by their shared connection to Su Yu and their ability to borrow Arceus’s Divine Power.

Significant Themes

• Self-control versus temptation: Old Steel refuses Leng Yulai’s invitation to exploit Leng Yaozhu, while others later try to take advantage of her apparent vulnerability and are punished.
• Deception and hidden strength: Leng Yaozhu’s apparent helplessness is an act, and Old Steel’s seemingly inferior position is overturned through tactical preparation and Foresight.
• Teamwork and synergy: Old Steel and Old Rock’s combined abilities exceed the sum of their individual strengths, allowing them to survive against stronger opponents.
• Power and elemental duality: Leng Yulai’s Dark Phoenix embodies the conflict and balance between darkness and fire, which she temporarily separates into ultimate forms.
• Tactical intelligence over raw power: Traps, defensive skills, battlefield awareness, and exploiting weaknesses repeatedly allow the protagonists to resist stronger enemies.

Character Interactions

• Leng Yulai manipulates and mocks Leng Yaozhu while encouraging Old Steel to remain near her.
• Old Steel rejects Leng Yulai’s suggestion, escapes Leng Yaozhu, and later taunts and fights the pursuing frail girl.
• The frail girl’s confidence leads her to underestimate Old Steel, but his Foresight allows him to strike her while she is intangible.
• Old Steel and Old Rock coordinate closely, exchanging glances, combining their powers, and fleeing as a unified team.
• Leng Yulai repeatedly confronts Old Rock and eventually faces both brothers together, forcing them to rely on perfect cooperation and defense.
• Leng Yaozhu’s fiery retaliation against the opportunistic onlookers establishes a sharp contrast between her genuine character and the immoral behavior encouraged by Leng Yulai.

Chapter Summary: “Judgment Shards!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Sandstorm suddenly forms amid the snow, concealing Old Steel and Old Rock as they flee from Leng Yulai. Leng Yulai dispels it with Sunny Day and resumes the chase.
• Leng Yulai triggers hidden Stealth Rocks and is badly battered. Her subordinate, the Shadow Snake Titled Douluo, suffers the same fate when she follows the same route. The two are forced to take a detour.
• Old Steel and Old Rock reach Leng Yaozhu, who is still suffering from the Evil Fire. They decide to help her so that Leng Yulai and Leng Yaozhu will be forced to fight each other, allowing them to escape.
• Old Rock uses a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow to suppress Leng Yaozhu’s Evil Fire. Leng Yaozhu recognizes its value and begins purging the Evil Fire more rapidly.
• Leng Yulai arrives and accuses the masked pair of deliberately coming to save Leng Yaozhu as part of a scheme. She transforms into her Dark Phoenix Martial Soul Avatar and attacks.
• Old Steel and Old Rock activate their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, merging into Arceus. With the Stone Plate, Steel Slate, and Earth Plate, Arceus unleashes enormous numbers of Judgment Shards and Light Gravel.
• Leng Yulai defends herself by transforming into a hardened “egg,” while the Shadow Snake Titled Douluo attempts to become mist. Old Steel anticipates the maneuver with Foresight, and the Judgment Shards pierce the subordinate, killing her.
• The fusion attack exhausts Old Steel and Old Rock, forcing them to separate. Leng Yulai survives and ambushes Old Rock, striking him hard and sending him crashing beside Leng Yaozhu.

Character Developments

• Old Rock and Old Steel: They demonstrate clever teamwork, using weather, Stealth Rocks, and battlefield positioning to escape. Despite claiming they merely want to flee, they risk their lives to protect Leng Yaozhu. Their fusion into Arceus reveals their immense strength, though the technique leaves them nearly powerless afterward.
• Leng Yulai: She becomes increasingly frustrated and suspicious, convinced that everyone is favoring or rescuing her sister. Her jealousy and obsession drive her relentless pursuit. Even after enduring Stealth Rocks and Judgment Shards, she remains dangerous and manages to counterattack.
• Leng Yaozhu: She begins to recover from the Evil Fire through Old Rock’s assistance. The mysterious protector’s concern and willingness to defend her cause her heart to race, though she insists her feelings are only the Evil Fire’s influence. Her admiration for Yun Ming remains, but she develops a new sense of security around Old Rock.
• The Shadow Snake Titled Douluo: Despite being an agility-type Titled Douluo, she is overwhelmed by the fusion attack and killed after her mist transformation is countered.
• Leng Yaozhu’s feelings: Her attraction and curiosity toward Old Rock become more apparent. She is especially affected by his calm protection and the steadfast aura of the Rock Slate.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and trust: Old Steel and Old Rock’s fusion skill embodies their powerful bond and coordinated combat style.
• Protection versus self-interest: Although the pair initially plans to use Leng Yaozhu as a distraction, they ultimately defend her at great personal cost.
• Misunderstanding and jealousy: Leng Yulai interprets the rescue as part of a calculated plot and is consumed by resentment over the attention her sister receives.
• Power and sacrifice: Arceus’s Judgment Shards display overwhelming strength, but the attack can only be used once because of its enormous energy cost.
• Emotional confusion: Leng Yaozhu struggles to distinguish genuine attraction from the Evil Fire’s influence, while her memories of Yun Ming complicate her emerging feelings for Old Rock.

Important Character Interactions

• Leng Yulai and her subordinate: Leng Yulai stays behind her subordinate during the pursuit, claiming exhaustion, allowing the subordinate to trigger the Stealth Rocks first.
• Old Rock and Leng Yaozhu: Old Rock gives her the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, repeatedly urges her to meditate, and promises to protect her. Leng Yaozhu is grateful and increasingly emotionally affected by him.
• Old Rock and Leng Yulai: Old Rock tries to stall Leng Yulai with jokes, but she remains convinced he and Old Steel are plotting against her.
• Old Steel and Old Rock: They stand together and merge into Arceus, presenting their bond as the source of their greatest power.
• Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai: Their confrontation is briefly interrupted by Arceus’s attack. Leng Yaozhu ultimately warns Old Rock when Leng Yulai launches a surprise attack, showing that she has begun to care about his safety.

Chapter Summary: “Sacrifice?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Rock and Old Steel are severely weakened after using their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Judgment Shards, against Leng Yulai.
• Leng Yulai survives their attack by using her eighth soul skill, a Phoenix-type nirvana ability that completely restores her injuries and Soul Power.
• Leng Yaozhu explains the skill’s nature and urges Old Rock and Old Steel to flee while she continues purging the Evil Fire contaminating her body.
• Old Rock chooses to stay and protect Leng Yaozhu. He and Old Steel perform Judgment Shards again, summoning a weakened Arceus phantom composed of only three Slates.
• Leng Yulai unleashes her strongest attack: the fusion of ultimate darkness and Ultimate Flame. The resulting explosion overwhelms the weakened Judgment Shards.
• Leng Yaozhu intervenes, using her ninth soul skill and Martial Soul Avatar to destroy the explosion’s shockwave. She orders Old Rock and Old Steel to escape while she confronts Leng Yulai.
• Leng Yulai realizes that Leng Yaozhu’s Evil Fire will worsen if she continues fighting and deliberately retreats while pursuing Old Rock and Old Steel, hoping to exhaust Leng Yaozhu.
• Old Rock turns back to delay Leng Yulai, borrowing distant power from Arceus’s true body. He is struck down while Leng Yaozhu desperately tries to save him.
• Appearing to die, Old Rock gives Leng Yaozhu a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, telling her to leave the rest to her. His body dissolves into light.
• Grieving and shaken, Leng Yaozhu consumes the marrow, temporarily suppressing the Evil Fire and restoring enough strength to confront Leng Yulai.
• The chapter reveals that Old Rock was only a clone. Before sacrificing himself, he separated his Stone Plate and gave it to Old Steel. Therefore, he can potentially be recreated.
• Old Rock’s apparent sacrifice is also a calculated strategy: Leng Yaozhu is now indebted to the Team Rocket, potentially allowing them to gain the support—or even the covert assistance—of a Limit Douluo.

Character Developments

• Old Rock: Demonstrates courage by remaining behind to protect Leng Yaozhu, but his “sacrifice” is ultimately tactical rather than permanent. He deliberately cultivates Leng Yaozhu’s sense of debt toward him and the Team Rocket.
• Old Steel: Supports Old Rock during the fusion attack and obeys his final order to escape. He preserves the Stone Plate, ensuring Old Rock’s eventual restoration.
• Leng Yaozhu: Shows compassion and loyalty by refusing to abandon Old Rock and Old Steel. She risks accelerating the Evil Fire’s eruption to protect them and is deeply affected by Old Rock’s apparent death. Her emotional reaction suggests growing attachment or at least a powerful sense of responsibility.
• Leng Yulai: Remains ruthless, manipulative, and observant. She exploits Leng Yaozhu’s concern for Old Rock and intentionally targets him to provoke her sister. She also uses a strategic retreat rather than continuing a disadvantageous direct battle.
• The sisters: Their rivalry becomes more personal. Leng Yulai taunts Leng Yaozhu about caring for Old Rock, while Leng Yaozhu’s protective actions reveal that their conflict is no longer merely ideological or familial.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice versus strategy: Old Rock appears to give his life, but the event is engineered to create an obligation and secure Leng Yaozhu’s future cooperation.
• Emotional manipulation: Old Rock uses the appearance of selfless sacrifice to influence Leng Yaozhu, while Leng Yulai manipulates her sister’s concern to control the battle.
• Loyalty and indebtedness: Leng Yaozhu risks herself for people she has known only briefly, while Old Rock hopes her gratitude will benefit the Team Rocket.
• The cost of power: Leng Yaozhu’s strength is compromised by the Evil Fire, forcing her to choose between suppressing it and protecting others.
• Appearance versus reality: Old Rock’s death is not genuine, just as Leng Yulai’s retreats and attacks conceal her larger tactical intentions.

Important Character Interactions

• Leng Yaozhu repeatedly urges Old Rock and Old Steel to escape, while Old Rock insists on protecting her.
• Old Rock and Old Steel cooperate to summon Arceus, though their depleted power makes the second fusion ineffective.
• Leng Yaozhu intervenes to save them from Leng Yulai’s ultimate attack.
• Leng Yulai taunts Leng Yaozhu about her concern for Old Rock, deliberately attacking him to provoke her.
• Old Rock gives Leng Yaozhu the Mysterious Ice Marrow before apparently dying, leaving her emotionally shaken and indebted.
• After discovering Old Rock’s apparent death, Leng Yaozhu turns against Leng Yulai with renewed determination, while Old Steel escapes carrying the Slates necessary to restore Old Rock.

Chapter Summary: “Rank?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After another month of cultivation and absorbing two more Plates, Su Yu reaches level 25. His four soul rings have become deep purple, and he expects them to turn black after obtaining a fifth Plate.
• Su Yu reunites with Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie in the training room. Gu Yue demonstrates her newly mastered Ice Beam, adding it to her existing Pokémon moves, Blast Burn and Hydro Pump.
• The group travels through a secret elevator to a new virtual-reality facility called the Pokémon World. Unlike the Spirit Pagoda’s Ascension Platform, this world feels completely real, though dying there does not cause actual death.
• Su Yu explains that the Pokémon World is inhabited by Pokémon and will allow qualified soul masters to search for and eventually capture Pokémon partners. The group explores areas populated by Pokémon such as Snorlax, Lillipup, Mankey, Machop, Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking.
• They then visit a battle arena, where Xie Xie challenges and defeats a Rockruff. Afterward, he receives a status panel identifying him as a level-23 Great Soul Master with the rank Bronze One Star.
• Su Yu introduces the new

Rank System

• Winning battles grants one star.
• Ten stars allow advancement to the next rank.
• Matches pair soul masters of comparable strength.
• Ranks reset annually.
• Higher ranks offer rewards, with the highest rank granting one opportunity to capture a Pokémon.
• The group returns to Eastsea Academy for the new semester.
• Headmaster Yu Zhen announces that Xu Xiaoyan has joined Class Zero.
• When a student complains that Class Zero receives unfairly generous resources, Yu Zhen establishes a challenge system: teams from every grade may battle Class Zero for the right to receive the same privileges.
• Older students enthusiastically accept the challenge, underestimating Class Zero because they are unaware of how much the members have improved.

Character Developments

• Su Yu continues progressing rapidly, reaching level 25 and expanding the Team Rocket-related facilities. He is shown as a planner and innovator, creating both the Pokémon World and the competitive ranking system.
• Gu Yue demonstrates exceptional talent by mastering three powerful Pokémon moves, far surpassing Tang Wulin and Xie Xie in learning speed.
• Tang Wulin and Xie Xie have improved their Pokémon training, though their progress remains slower than Gu Yue’s. Xie Xie is especially eager to test his strength and becomes the first to participate in the battle arena.
• Xie Xie grows more confident after easily defeating Rockruff, though his initial arrogance reveals that he may underestimate future opponents.
• Xu Xiaoyan officially joins Class Zero but is told to observe rather than fight in the upcoming challenges.
• Yu Zhen publicly defends Class Zero and uses the challenge matches to test the academy’s students. His confidence is based largely on his belief in Su Yu’s strength.
• Wu Zhangkong remains a quiet but powerful mentor. His training has significantly strengthened Class Zero, even though the academy’s students do not realize it.

Significant Themes

• Growth through innovation: Su Yu’s cultivation and technological creations show how new systems can transform the way soul masters train and compete.
• Competition and merit: The Rank System rewards victory and creates a structured path for advancement, while the academy challenge system frames Class Zero’s privileges as something others can earn through strength.
• Underestimation versus hidden power: Other students believe Class Zero is merely a group of talented first-years with strong Pokémon, unaware of their real abilities and training.
• Partnership between humans and Pokémon: The Pokémon World establishes Pokémon as potential companions and combat partners rather than simple tools or opponents.
• Fairness and privilege: The complaint against Class Zero’s special treatment leads to a public trial of their abilities, raising questions about whether exceptional students should receive greater resources.
• Reality and illusion: The Pokémon World resembles the Ascension Platform but is presented as a more convincing and immersive environment, blurring the boundaries between virtual space and reality.

Important Character Interactions

• Gu Yue and Su Yu: Gu Yue proudly demonstrates Ice Beam to Su Yu, seeking his recognition. She also shows curiosity about his secret facility and asks to accompany him.
• Su Yu, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie: The two boys eagerly volunteer to help Su Yu, reflecting their desire to contribute more meaningfully to Team Rocket.
• Su Yu and the group: Su Yu acts as their guide, explaining the Pokémon World, its inhabitants, and the Rank System.
• Xie Xie and Rockruff: Xie Xie dismisses Rockruff as a weak opponent but defeats it easily, reinforcing his confidence and setting up the ranking system.
• Yu Zhen and the protesting student: Their confrontation turns a complaint about unfair treatment into an academy-wide challenge against Class Zero.
• Yu Zhen and Xu Xiaoyan: Yu Zhen welcomes Xiaoyan to Class Zero but advises her to observe the coming battles, emphasizing the importance of seeing the academy’s strongest students in action.
• Tang Wulin and Xie Xie: Tang Wulin tells Xie Xie to quiet down during the ceremony, showing their familiar contrast between Tang Wulin’s restraint and Xie Xie’s impatience.

Chapter Summary: “Xu Xiaoyan!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the academy’s opening ceremony, most students ignore Principal Yu Zhen’s speech while discussing the upcoming Class Zero Challenge Tournament. Class Zero—Su Yu, Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie—are eager to compete after a month of intensive training and improved coordination with their Pokémon.
• Other students challenge Class Zero’s use of Pokémon Soul Spirits, arguing that lower-ranked Soul Masters cannot use Spirit Souls and would be unfairly disadvantaged.
• Su Yu provocatively agrees that Class Zero will not use Pokémon in the tournament, calling it a “handicap” and sarcastically suggesting that Class Zero are actually the weaker side. His confidence silences the opposition, though the other students remain eager to defeat them.
• On the way back to the dormitories, the group meets Xu Xiaoyan, the new student assigned to Class Zero. Xie Xie warmly introduces everyone, while Wu Zhangkong warns her that she must prove she has the potential to join the class. Xu Xiaoyan accepts the challenge enthusiastically.
• At the East Sea Spirit Pagoda, officials gather to welcome Heavenly Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu, a high-ranking Vice Pagoda Master from headquarters. However, she has secretly left the vehicle and gone to Pokémon Plaza.
• Leng Yaozhu enters Team Rocket Tower after sensing an aura resembling that of Old Rock, someone she believes to be dead but whom she deeply remembers. She ignores the staff’s warnings and begins searching the building floor by floor.
• Team Rocket security attempts to stop her. The security captain, a Level 91 Titled Douluo partnered with a Sudowoodo, confronts her. Leng Yaozhu’s overwhelming power is revealed when she summons nine Soul Rings and forces him to the ground without effort.
• Leng Yaozhu continues upward, determined to find the source of the familiar aura. The chapter ends as a masked figure inside the tower notices her arrival, creating a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Su Yu displays confidence and sharp verbal wit, using the controversy over Pokémon to provoke the academy’s students and reinforce Class Zero’s fearless image.
• Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie remain confident in their rapid growth, while Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi worry that their own performance may not match Class Zero’s. They remind themselves that their Martial Soul Fusion Skill gives them an advantage.
• Xu Xiaoyan is introduced as optimistic, determined, and willing to prove herself despite Wu Zhangkong’s stern test. She responds to his criticism with resolve rather than insecurity.
• Wu Zhangkong remains cold and demanding, emphasizing that Class Zero membership must be earned.
• Leng Yaozhu is shown to be powerful, emotionally conflicted, and deeply attached to the memory of Old Rock. Her normally composed behavior is disrupted by the possibility that someone connected to him may still exist.
• The Team Rocket security captain demonstrates courage and loyalty by confronting an unknown intruder despite being unable to assess her strength.

Significant Themes

• Fairness versus privilege: The tournament dispute centers on whether Class Zero’s Pokémon Soul Spirits provide an unfair advantage.
• Confidence and provocation: Su Yu’s sarcastic acceptance of the handicap turns criticism back on the other students and highlights Class Zero’s boldness.
• Determination and self-improvement: Xu Xiaoyan’s willingness to prove herself parallels the students’ commitment to becoming stronger through training.
• Power and hidden identities: Leng Yaozhu’s overwhelming strength contrasts with her disguised appearance, while the masked Team Rocket figure reinforces the organization’s secrecy.
• Memory, grief, and hope: Leng Yaozhu’s search for Old Rock is driven by unresolved feelings and the hope that the person she remembers may somehow still be connected to the aura she senses.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yu and the protesting students: Su Yu verbally defeats their argument by agreeing to remove Pokémon from the tournament, framing the decision as a handicap.
• Xu Xiaoyan and Class Zero: Xie Xie welcomes her and introduces her to the group, while the others begin forming their first impressions of her.
• Xu Xiaoyan and Wu Zhangkong: Wu demands that she prove her worth; Xu responds with enthusiasm and determination.
• Leng Yaozhu and Team Rocket staff: She disregards their attempts to stop her because of her intense focus on finding the familiar aura.
• Leng Yaozhu and the security captain: The captain attempts to defend the restricted floors, but Leng Yaozhu effortlessly overwhelms him after he refuses to move.
• Leng Yaozhu and Sudowoodo: The Pokémon’s aura briefly reminds her of Old Rock, though its weakness disappoints her.